A rare, dense form of silicon dioxide (quartz) that forms under extremely high pressure, found in meteorite impact sites.
Named after Loring Coes Jr., an American scientist who discovered this mineral in 1953. The -ite suffix indicates it's a mineral. The naming follows the scientific convention of honoring discoverers.
Coesite is so dense and unusual that when geologists find it in rocks, they know instantly that the rock experienced a violent meteorite impact—it's like finding a cosmic fingerprint on Earth's surface.
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